


Omega - An Innocent Man

by Goldenpetal13



Series: Omega Arrow [4]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Changing POVs, Changing Tenses, F/F, F/M, Family Death, Implied Femslash, Implied Knotting, Implied Mpreg, Implied Slash, M/M, Mating Bonds, Mentions of Death, Show level Violence and Death, alpha/beta/omega, mentions of abuse, mentions of torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-01
Updated: 2014-09-25
Packaged: 2018-01-17 20:39:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1401706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldenpetal13/pseuds/Goldenpetal13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU – With Shado and Sara now in Starling City and Digg having learnt their secret things were very tense. To add to the pressure a man who was convicted of murdering his wife catches Oliver’s attention. Now the team have to race against time to prove the man’s innocence and to prove the guilt of the real murderer, a man whose name is on the list.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Rated Mature due to show level violence and themes.
> 
> Warnings: Slash, Fem Slash, Alpha/Beta/Omega verse, show level violence and death, mentions of torture, mentions of abuse, grief, family deaths, others to be added as required.
> 
> Don’t like don’t read, though constructive criticism is always welcome (plus any reviews). 
> 
> I own nothing, literally.

Starling City The Arrow Cave Now: Oliver Queen

 

Shado and Sara have left me to care for Digg.  His breathing is calm and even.  He’s sleeping.  I text them now and again to keep them posted and I wait for Digg to wake up so we can talk.

 

The Queen Mansion Now: Shado

 

They arrived back just in time to be found curled up together on a blanket.  Shado was running her fingers through Sara’s hair when the security man stumbled up to their hide out and asked them to come quickly.

 

Moira, Walter, and Thea are all panicking in the foyer of the house so Shado uses her aura like a slap in the face, they turn to her and she finds out they’re worried about Oliver as he didn’t leave the building with them, she holds up her hands to silence them and asks, “Did he run further into the building?”

 

“Yes,” Thea says, “Which is why he’s not here, he’s probably lying somewhere shot to death by that lunatic,” her voice is getting louder and Shado can see the same temper and impatience in her that Oliver struggles with.

 

“Then he did the right thing,” Shado tells them.  “We trained our Omegas to react differently in combat, they do what is not expected of them, and it’s why they survived.”  She taps on her phone and texts Oliver, he is very prompt in his reply as he’s not doing anything but watching over Mr Diggle.  “Ah he is safe with Mr Diggle.” She watches his family relax, “He will stay put for now and wait for daylight, and then he will come home.”

 

“That’s it?”  Thea crosses her arms and glares at Shado, “You’re not going to go and get him?”

 

“No,” Sara leans against a doorway as she interrupts them, “Oliver will stay put and hide.  It’s what he’s good at, remember all the stories about him ditching Digg?  The shooter is still out there.  We don’t know who his targets are.  Better to stay hidden while Shado stays here and defends this territory.”

 

Shado looks over at the nearest security guard, her father and Slade are very good at building defences, and infiltrating them, as is she, “You, please gather, or get on their radios, all the security on site.  We are going on lock down until further notice.”  It shouldn’t take the police long to find the body of the assassin, and then she can let security relax again.

 

“Are we in danger?” Thea’s voice is now much softer.

 

“Probably not,” Shado gives her a reassuring smile, “But I prefer not to risk my Omegas or my new family.  If you will excuse me I have a long night ahead of me.”

 

The Queen Mansion Now: Thea Queen

 

Shado leaves the room and suddenly their home feels a lot less safe.  She doesn’t notice Sara walk up to her until the Omega puts an arm around her shoulders.  “Come on, it’s late.  We should get some sleep.  You want to sleep in with me tonight?  Oliver will send me update texts too, and Shado won’t mind you being there, we’re family now.”

 

She wants to brazen it out and pretend she’s okay, but her hands are shaking a bit and she nods.  “Okay.”

 

“Come on then,” Sara leads her away, “We’ll get you something sweet and warm to drink and then we’ll have a few cuddles and fall asleep.  It will be better in the morning,” and then Sara grins, “And I am so leaving telling Slade about this up to Shado.”

 

That penetrates Thea’s thoughts and she asks, “Is he really that bad? Did he really threaten to kill Ollie?”

 

Chuckling Sara says, “Well, the Island isn’t a nice place.  And Oliver met Yao Fei first and kind of accidentally Bonded himself to him before he ever met Slade. It meant that he could mimic an Alpha aura for short periods, so when Yao Fei sacrificed himself so Oliver could escape the mercenaries, Oliver tried to pretend he was an Alpha,” and there’s so much in there that’s freaking Thea out, but the idea of her Omega brother passing as an Alpha is ludicrous, Ollie was so passive when it came to physically aggressive stuff.  Thea hopes Sara keeps talking, Ollie never said much about the Island, and she really wants to know what happened there, like these mercenaries, who were they?  What were they doing there?

 

They walk into the kitchen, “It also meant that when he followed the map Yao Fei had slipped into his pocket, he found Slade.  And Slade thought Oliver was one of the mercenaries and an Alpha one too.  Only Oliver didn’t really act like an Alpha and Slade was internally freaking out over why he was so protective of an Alpha, and a fairly useless Alpha that couldn’t learn even the most simplest of attacks,” Sara hands her one of the Omega drinks and she sips it.  “Sorry I’d prefer you had something hot but those are packed with so many nutrients it should help.”

 

“But what happened next?” Thea wants to know about Ollie and about Slade, she’s suddenly insanely curious, she has to know.

 

“Get ready for bed and meet me in my room and I’ll tell you,” Sara says and sips her own drink.  That’s when Thea notices her mom and Walter have followed them too.  “And yes you two can join us too.”

 

“Oh well, I,” Mom sort of babbles and then Walter touches her arm.

 

“If it’s not too much trouble.  We’ve all seen how very much in love Oliver is, but the stories we’ve heard about Slade, are, well,” He pauses, “They’re not very reassuring.”

 

“Slade isn’t very reassuring, but he loves Oliver more than his own life, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to make him happy,” If anything Sara’s smile gets bigger, “Shado thinks Slade is too soft with us, and that he indulges us too much.  He’s incredibly physically and in your face, he’ll blow up over the slightest thing, but I’ve seen him patiently and painstakingly gather the tiniest of seeds because he knows Oliver loves the cakes Shado can make from them.  And when the pair of them aren’t being loud and snarking at each other, they’re being all gooy and lovey,” Sara rolls her eyes, “Seriously I’ve seen them curled up on their mat just gazing at each other.”

 

“Oh,” Thea says and then asks, “Doesn’t Shado do that for you?”

 

Snorting Sara shakes her head, “Nope, neither of us are incurable romantics, thank god. I love Shado more than I love anything, including myself, but we’re more practical and less gooy. Now go and get ready for bed.”

 

Finishing her drink Thea hurries off to get ready, she wants to learn what happened next to Ollie, and she turns over Sara’s words.  She’s only ever seen the gooy romantic love on TV, but thinking about it, her mom and Walter are sweet but quiet, and she’s not seen enough of Sara and Shado to make a judgement call, but she can’t see them being all over the top romantic either.

 

She’s never gotten ready for bed this quickly before and she pulls on her dressing gown before jogging down the hall to Sara and Shado’s room burning to find out more.  The door is already open so she peeks in to find Sara’s already there and getting into bed, the Omega glances up and grins, “Oh that was quick.”

 

It’s a bit awkward to get on Sara’s bed, and she wraps the dressing gown more tightly around herself as they wait for her parents.  Her mom and Walter soon join them and they all stare at Sara impatiently.

 

“I warn you, some of this is classified so I can’t go into details, and some of it will be hard for you to hear,” Sara says very seriously and clasps her hands together.  “You know Oliver, you know what he was before the Island.  But you don’t know Slade.  It’s on public record so I can tell you he used to be married to a Beta, but as he was in the armed forces it didn’t work out, the divorce was beyond messy and it was far from amicable.  His ex-wife got full custody rights to their son, Joe.  The courts didn’t really care that she tended to drink because she was the parent that was always there.  Two days after that little drama in the courtroom his ex got drunk and wrapped the family car around a streetlight, she walked away from the accident,” Thea has a bad feeling about what’s coming, “Joe died on impact.”

 

“No,” Thea whispers it and she’s seen for herself how over the top Alpha parents were with their kids, their whole lives revolved around their families, their instinct driving them to protect their loved ones at any cost.

 

“Yes,” Sara says gravely, “Slade didn’t handle it well, and as he had no other family, he volunteered for the dumb missions and somehow got out of them alive.  And that’s how he ended up on Lian Yu.  His team was headed somewhere else when they got shot out of the sky, most of the team made it and crawled out of the wreckage where they were ambushed and captured.”

 

Pulling her knees up Thea edges closer to her mom who was as horrified as she was.  She’s never met this Slade, but her idiot brother is in love with him, and the poor man has been through so much.  Leaning into her mom’s side she cuddles in and listens as Sara continues.

 

“Slade’s best friend Billy was on the mission with him.  This is the man who helped hold him together when he was at his lowest, who was godfather to his son,” Thea doesn’t remember anyone saying the name Billy before and she worries about what happened to him on the Island.  “So Slade, Billy, and the rest of the team were taken to the mercenaries’ main camp, and that’s where the hell really started.”

 

Taking a big shuddering breath Sara glances over to them and then says, “It was bad, they were tortured, Slade still has nightmares about it.  And then something worse happened.”

 

“Worse?” Thea questions, what the hell could be worse than what Sara was telling them? God she really has to know.

 

“Much worse,” Sara fidgets a bit and then carries on, “Billy turned. He joined the mercenaries, and then he helped them torture and kill the others.”

 

Okay yeah that was worse.

 

“Slade suffered the most, Billy had to prove his loyalty to the mercenaries’ leader, they were careful not to mark Slade, they wanted him to turn too.  He had to watch as his team was murdered in front of him by the man who used to be his best friend, his brother, the one person he could rely on.”  Shaking her head Sara looks so sad, “He managed to escape with another prisoner, a man named Yao Fei.  They had a very uneasy alliance, and then they got separated.  Yao Fei found Oliver on the beach and Slade was all alone.”

 

“That poor man,” Her mom was hugging her and Walter tightly.  “To lose his son, and then to go through all that.”

 

Nodding Sara says, “Yeah, so you can imagine how happy he was to have Oliver wander in to his secret hiding place, a place so secret the only other person who knew where it was, was Yao Fei.  Here was this dumb, untrained, loud Alpha that kept trying to be near him, who failed at every single physical thing Slade tried to teach him.  Slade and Yao Fei had already worked out the schedule for a supply plane the mercenaries used, but Slade couldn’t take the tiny airstrip the mercenaries had built, and then the plane on his own, he needed an extra person.”

 

It clicks in Thea’s head, “He needed Oliver, he needed my brother’s help. Yao Fei must have realised and sent Oliver to him because of that.”

 

“Exactly,” Sara leans forward.  “So he persevered and even thinking they were going to fail he led Oliver to the little airstrip to take it by force and the mobile control tower.  Slade’s plan was simple, he would kill all the guards outside, while Oliver would kill the main tower operator who was behind bullet proof glass and therefore unsnipeable by Slade.”

 

Walter’s, “But Oliver’s an Omega,” pointed out the huge flaw in that plan, Oliver wouldn’t be capable of killing, his instincts drove him to make life not take it.

 

“Exactly, Oliver did try, he really did, but he couldn’t do any of the attacks Slade had tried to teach him, and he ended up on the wrong end of the guard’s gun. All alone in the tower he was helpless to defend himself,” Next to her Thea can feel her mom start to shake.

 

“Oliver,” Is whimpered by her mom and her hands have come up to cover the lower part of her face.

 

“It’s okay,” Sara crawls forward and a warm comforting Omega aura wraps around them.  “Slade was able to sneak in and he killed the guard before he could hurt Oliver,” Thea breathes out in relief. “And that’s when the supply plane radioed in.  Slade answered it and in just a few hours they were going to be able to take over the plane can leave.”

 

Leave?  Thea’s confused, if they could have left then why didn’t they?

 

“Only Oliver had already Bonded to Yao Fei, and the Bond drove him back to the main camp to try and rescue his Alpha, all by himself, because Slade still didn’t know he was an Omega,” Sara shifts closer to Thea and they end up sitting next to each other.  “Oliver was captured and,” Sara stops and wraps her own arms around herself, “Oh god, poor Oliver.”

 

“Sara,” Thea’s mom leans over and touches the visibly upset Omega, “Sara, it’s okay, you’re all okay now, you’re home.”

 

Nodding Sara pulls herself together, “It’s just that the man Billy?  He was an Alpha, and at one point he’d already gotten his hands on Oliver.  He’d tried to force the Bond on Oliver, it’s where the scars on Oliver’s right shoulder come from.  If Yao Fei hadn’t gotten there in time,” And Sara sobs softly, “He was going to Mate Oliver against his will, Oliver didn’t stand a chance against him.  It was why Yao Fei sacrificed himself for Oliver, and sent him to Slade, to the one Alpha on the Island that could possibly protect his Omega.

 

“And Oliver, driven by instinct, walked into that camp and nearly saved Yao Fei, but Billy caught them,” Thea listens to Sara in dread, her hands are sweaty and her heart is thumping painfully, because she remembers all the other scars on her brother’s body.  “He dragged them to the very middle of the camp and there he chained Yao Fei and got ready to Mate Oliver by force.”

 

Thea wants Sara to stop talking now, her mom is shaking so hard, Walter is looking sick, but she has to know, she has to know what happened to Oliver, “Sara?  Please tell me Billy didn’t force Ollie into a Mating.  Please.”  Oh god, please, not Ollie, please not Ollie.

 

“He nearly did,” Sara’s voice is soft and then the Omega is nestled up against her and she’s shaking too.  “Yao Fei couldn’t save him.  Billy was going to win.  And then,” Sara pauses, “Then Slade walked into the camp, he’s good with explosives, and he managed to sneak in to set charges.  The explosions distracted the mercenaries and he made it to Oliver in time.”

 

“Thank god,” Thea’s mom says, “Oh thank god.”  It doesn’t cover the sheer amount of relief Thea feels that Slade was in time to save Oliver.

 

“Slade came in and got hit by Oliver’s Omega aura, he was broadcasting intense distress, fear, pain, and it all clicked for Slade, he realised Oliver was an Omega and Slade went straight for Billy. There was a huge fight,” Sara tells them.  “The mercenaries’ leader was able to drag the chained up Yao Fei off while Billy and Slade ripped into each other.  Two powerful, well trained, Alphas battled in the middle of the camp over Oliver.  They didn’t care who got in their way they just kept going, Billy must have made a mistake, because he was just as good as Slade, but somehow Slade got the upper hand and killed Billy.”

 

“Good,” Thea says fiercely wanting that man to hurt for hurting her brother, and Slade.

 

“The fight wasn’t without its injuries and Slade was hurt.  Oliver wiggled free of his restraints, that was something else Slade had been trying to teach him, and he went straight to the exhausted Slade.  He had to half carry Slade away from the chaos and destruction of the camp.  They slipped back into the jungle and it took them a few days to make it back to Slade’s safe area.  They dodged patrols and then Slade’s injuries got infected,” Sara goes quiet again.

 

“Infected?” Walter sounds very concerned, “They wouldn’t have had access to antibiotics, what did they do?”  That startles Thea, of course infections would be life threatening there, she vaguely recalls something about mortality rates before penicillin was discovered and she starts to worry for Slade in earnest now.

 

“It was a very harrowing time but Slade survived.  Oliver did everything he could to nurse him for over a week. Afterwards Slade was weak for days and totally reliant on Oliver to gather food and water.  At night Oliver would curl up with him to share body heat, and somehow Slade Bonded to Oliver, he’d been hurt so badly, been betrayed so intensely, but he still learnt to trust Oliver and they started to fall in love,” Giving them a quick ghost of a smile Sara adds, “Later on when the Island was free of mercenaries and they were safe, they still didn’t consummate their Mating, they waited, they both wanted the other to be completely sure.  It drove both of them insane for a few weeks, but it meant their Mating was based on love, trust, and mutual respect.”

 

“But what happened to the mercenaries?” Thea blurts out.  “Ollie and Slade might have been really well hidden in Slade’s safe zone thing, but they could still have been found and captured.”

 

A different voice behind them says, “I happened,” and Shado is standing there.  “Security is ready and I’ve been speaking to Quentin, the police are searching for the killer now.  He’ll keep us informed.”  The Alpha crawls onto the bed and Thea can feel the familiar wisps of her powerful aura brush against her.  “I had been searching for my father for years and traced him to Lian Yu.  On the Island I was captured but they underestimated me so I was able to fight free and I bumped into Slade and Oliver.  Slade was, well Slade, and I thought Oliver was an Alpha to start with, he was friendly and confirmed my father was on the Island but was a captive.”

 

Shado ends up cuddling her Omega, and incidentally brushing her hand against Thea’s side at the same time, but it was weirdly comforting so Thea doesn’t bother to move, “We came up with a plan to free my father, I couldn’t work out why Slade was always fussing over Oliver and kept trying to keep him out of the attack plans.  Neither of them wanted Oliver to stay behind in case he was attacked when he was alone and helpless, so it complicated things.”

 

“But you succeeded,” Thea’s mom says, “You rescued your father?”

 

“Yes, it wasn’t easy, our plans didn’t last long and fell apart on us, and neither Slade nor my father would stray far from Oliver.  But we did it and in typical Slade fashion we managed to blow the camp up completely, it killed the remaining mercenaries, their leader, and the radio equipment,” Shado sounds annoyed at the last bit.  “We were stranded together on the Island, but we were finally all safe from the mercenaries.”

 

Laughing Shado says, “And then two days later Slade and my father nearly came to blows over Oliver.  Both of them were Bonded to Oliver.  My father had strong parental feelings towards him.  Slade was in love with him.  Oliver returned all of those feelings and I was still oblivious to him being an Omega, so I was stunned my father and Slade were both interested in an Alpha.  It meant all kinds of confusion but we did form an alliance in the wake of our victory.  Oliver was Bitten by my father and Slade, and lastly by me. He calmed and centred us, and the side effects of the Bites gave us increased strength and healing.  No more fears about infections, we were more powerful in battle, and we would end up needing it because when Sara came to the Island, we were back to fighting for our lives.”

 

“Sara wasn’t on the Island with Ollie?” Thea asks and then thinks back over the story they’ve just been told. At no point did it mention Sara.

 

“No, I turned up later,” Sara shakes her head, “I can’t tell you everything, but I drifted one way after the Queen’s Gambit went down, and Ollie went another.  He washed up on Lian Yu.  I got picked up by a freighter that turned out be part of a human trafficking ring for a very unethical scientist. He liked to do experiments on human test subjects, and they died horrible deaths.”

 

“Sara,” Thea twists so she can hug the Omega, what Oliver had gone through was bad enough, and she holds the woman tightly.

 

“I’m okay now Speedy.  I was female and he needed males.  I got to do menial stuff, but I couldn’t save anyone on the boat, I had to listen as they died at that maniac’s hands,” Sara wiggles an arm around Thea too to give her a swift hug back.  “Most of that stuff is classified, but we got to Lian Yu because my captor had run out of test subjects, again, and he thought there might be people he could kidnap there, and that’s where I met Oliver, and his Alphas.  They stopped the scientist and his men, and freed me, but destroyed the boat in the process, by blowing it up, which was all Slade’s fault.”

 

Sighing Sara takes one of Thea’s hands in her own and starts to rub the fingers, well the first joint in from the knuckle.  Thea’s seen Oliver do that to his own fingers, and then Sara do that to his fingers too.  “The first time I ever saw Slade was when he charged into a group of my captor’s men and started slaughtering them. He was this huge, loud, frightening god of war and death.  I was terrified, but then Oliver was there and tugging on my hand to run so I ran,” Sara seems lost in her memories and Thea lets her keep playing with her fingers. 

 

“It wasn’t until all of those men were dead that I saw a different side to Slade. We were sitting in a meadow.  Shado and Yao Fei were practicing some martial arts as I sat as close to Oliver as I could get.  Slade lumbered over to us and flopped down next to Oliver, I didn’t want him to notice me so I went as still as I could. I knew they were Mated but I was so scared of him, and he was bickering with Oliver again, they were always bickering.  I had no idea he was working on something, until he plonked a crown of flowers on Oliver’s head and then one on his own and smirked at him.  They both kept the crowns on all day, and that night I got to watch them sit down quietly and just stare at each other. I was still scared of Slade for months afterwards but I knew he loved Oliver, I saw it every single day, and when he offered me a piggy back one day, I took him up on the offer and I learned to love the big giant ball of grumpiness,” When Sara yawns at the end Thea finds herself copying her, as does her mom and Walter.

 

Suddenly really sleepy Thea rests her head on her mom’s shoulder and she really doesn’t want to move right now.  She feels better about Slade and she’s curious about meeting him in the flesh.  Closing her eyes she decides she’ll move in a minute.

 

The Queen Mansion Now: Sara Lance

 

Concentrating she pushes her aura onto the three of them, they’re tired from the adrenaline rush earlier, and the worry over Oliver.  They don’t fight her and in minutes all of them are fast asleep.

 

Shado slips off the bed and covers them with blankets, “You told the story well.”

 

“Thank you,” Sara feels a glow of happiness at pleasing her Alpha, “We worked on it hard enough.”  Slade generally made very memorable first impressions, very bad first impressions, and they needed him to fit in here with the minimum of effort on his side.  He could be charming if he needed to be, but both he and Oliver were terrible actors, and they would slip up long term.  It was easier to work on this end of the meeting and get Oliver’s and her families ready for Slade.

 

They’d spent months on Slade’s story, weaving enough truth in and spinning it to make him more relatable and sympathetic.  No one needed to know Slade had been sent to Lian Yu to retrieve Yao Fei.  Or that he Mated Oliver more out of necessity than love, though that love grew quickly and they really were a pair of mushy idiots, now.  They would all believe the story that had been created and Oliver’s and Slade’s natural behaviour around each other would reinforce it.

 

Curling up herself she feels Shado wrap around her back, it never fails to make her feel safe and she falls asleep too.  It’s been a big day for Sara, talking to her mom, then the anticlimactic fight against Deadshot, followed by using her aura to manipulate the Queens and help them accept the story.  When she tells her family the same story she’ll have to be more subtle and careful what emotions she makes them experience, her dad and sister were too smart and observant to not notice.  Sara got lucky the Queens were so tired and she could just hit them with what she wanted them to feel.

 

Starling City The Arrow Cave Now: Oliver Queen

 

Shado texted me hours ago to say Sara was telling my family the edited story of me and Slade.  Absently I rub my fingers, the first joint in from the knuckle.  I start with the middle fingers because Yao Fei was the first to Bite me, and under my gloves there is the barest of scars where his incisors broke the skin Bonding me by Bite to him.  My ring fingers are Slade’s where he Bit me to Mate me and Bond me to him so I’d stop trying to run off and rescue Yao Fei.  My forefingers are Shado’s so that both Slade and Yao Fei wouldn’t kill her for being around me, her unbound Alpha state agitated them both too much.

 

The Bites on my left shoulder are more for show than anything, no one needs to know were my real Bites are.

 

On the table Digg groans and starts to wake up.  Time for me to try and talk him into joining us, because if he turns on us; Shado will kill him, she won’t let anything threaten me or Sara.


	2. Chapter 2

Starling City The Arrow Cave Now: John Diggle

 

Leaning against the metal table he’d found himself on, he stares in shock at the Omega standing in front of him.  Dressed in green this version of Oliver can’t possibly exist, because Oliver Queen is an Omega, and Omega’s aren’t aggressive by nature, not unless something goes really wrong with them.

 

“Oliver?” John asks hoping he’s just hallucinating, that what he’s seeing isn’t true, but the man in green gives him a nod as an Omega aura of calm, warmth, and that touch of affection wraps around him.

 

No, this can’t be real, not Oliver the idiot client that kepes giving him the slip, who curls up and speaks to his Alphas for hours, who’d looked like he’d been given the world when Shado had come to Starling City.

 

He’s seen the news footage and all too often Oliver’s disappearances coincided with the reports.  There was the party opposite Hunt’s.  Martin Somers.  The assassin in Laurel Lance’s apartment.  The assassin at the Exchange Building. “You’re that Vigilante,” he mutters.

 

Oh no, it was real, he was staring at a broken Omega, and they were incredibly dangerous.  He has no idea how he’s supposed to tell the Queen family their son is as good as dead, or Shado that her Omega is crazy.

 

Getting to his feet he wobbles from his injury, and the room spins crazily around him.  First he has to subdue Oliver, then find out where they are, and then call Shado.

 

Taking a swing at Oliver to knock him out, he misses because Oliver ducks under it, and John stumbles forwards into a desk.  “Easy Digg,” Oliver sounds like he’s trying to calm a frightened animal and the Omega aura thickens as it starts to push a soothing emotion over him. “You were poisoned by Deadshot.”

 

John’s faced broken Omega’s before in Afghanistan so he knows how to shake off the aura, “Son of a bitch,” he swings for Oliver again.  This time Oliver sidesteps and grabs him, steadying him on his feet.  At least the broken Omega wasn’t in a blood lust right now.  Moving away from him John leans on the table again.

 

“I could have taken you anywhere,” Oliver starts saying and god isn’t that a horrible thought, no one would find John’s body, and no one would suspect an Omega.  “I could have taken you home, I brought you here,” but for what purpose?

 

“You really did lose your mind on that island,” John tells him and then mentally kicks himself for antagonising a broken Omega.

 

“Found a couple of things along the way,” Is the reply and the Omega still seems outwardly calm, it gives John hope that he can get out of this alive.

 

“Like what? Archery classes?” He can’t help mouthing off, he’s been shot, he’s in pain, and he’s the prisoner of an insane man.

 

“Clarity,” Is not what he’s expecting.  Oliver takes a step towards him but still isn’t acting aggressively, “Starling City is dying.” Well that’s a bit dramatic but John keeps his mouth shut for now. “It’s being poison by a criminal elite who don’t care who they hurt as long as they maintain their wealth and power.”

 

Does Oliver not realise he’s one of those elite?  That he’s a criminal now too?  A murderer? “What are you gonna do? Take em all down by your lonesome?” He asks knowing that Oliver is too insane to see the mental health issues staring him in the face.

 

“No,” Oliver shakes his head, “No, I want you to join me,” and the reason Oliver has let him live is very clearly because of this little moment.  John looks around trying to work out where he is and  how he can get away from Oliver without dying, because he does not want to fight this kid, he does not want to have to hurt him, it’s not Oliver’s fault he’s so broken.  “Special forces out of Kandahar, it’s perfect.”  John can’t look the kid in the eyes right now.  “You’re a fellow soldier.”

 

He can’t take it, “Oliver you’re not a soldier, you’re sick, you need help.  Let me take you back to Shado.  Let me take you to your Alpha.  You’re an Omega you bring life into the world, you don’t take it.  And you don’t ever want to be a soldier, you don’t want to be in a war because it scrapes off bits of you until nothing is left.”

 

“Are you saying no?” Is the only reply he gets and John hesitates.  The Omegas he’s seen that broke were twisted and lived purely to kill, they were almost unstoppable killing machines, and according to the local news reports, the Vigilante, Oliver, has proved very handy with a bow.

 

“I’m not saying no,” John has no idea how to deal with Oliver right now.

 

“But you’re not saying yes,” Oliver points out and then his whole face lights up, “It’s okay Digg you don’t have to choose right now.  It’s a big decision.  It will change your life.  Give me a few days to explain it to you, you can see the whole thing for yourself, and then you can decide.”

 

“Sure thing Oliver,” John plays along for now, he tries to get to his feet again, but slumps as the pain shoots through his shoulder.

 

“Hey, hey,” The Omega is suddenly right there, “Here lean on me Digg. I’ve got you.  Let me get you more comfortable and I’ll get changed and drive you home, you can stay at ours for a few days while you heal up.”

 

“Thanks,” He tries not to think about how that will also keep him close to Oliver the whole time too, but it does give him more opportunities to talk to Shado.  Oliver does help him into a chair and leaves the room to get changed.  John openly looks around, but he still can’t work out where the hell this place is, and for the life of him he can’t work out how Oliver found it, or knew about it.

 

Searching for an exit without getting off the chair, he’s contemplating just running for it, when Oliver comes back out in the suit he was wearing at the auction.  “Sorry I took so long.  Are you ready?”

 

Wincing John wobbles onto his feet again, “I think I need to lie down.”

 

“Of course,” Oliver comes up to him and helps him put an arm over his shoulders, “One step at a time Digg.  Though maybe we can add to the story I’m going to be telling Detective Lance?”  John doesn’t want to lean into Oliver but he needs the support to walk.  “I have the Vigilante’s hood, I’m going to say I found it in a bin in the stairwell, its right under a camera so security will see me take the bag from there.  We can say an Alpha attacked me for the bag, you defended me, and got hurt in the process.  I patched you up and we stayed hidden in case he came after us.”

 

There are so many holes in that story that John rolls his eyes, “You said I was shot?”  The kid nods, “Then most of that story isn’t going to work, the wound is wrong,” see he can look like he’s helping.

 

“That’s a good point, damn,” He’s led over to some steps and they start up them, “My cover stories tend to be a bit weak, if I’m given a chance to practice I can lie convincingly, but improvisation isn’t my strong suit.”

 

“Hmm,” Concentrating on the steps he idly thinks over the problem, “A better story is you found the bag, I followed you, we got into an alley to get away from the Exchange Building, someone went to mug you, I intervened and got stabbed, the guy wore a hoodie, we didn’t want to make a fuss and upset your family so we didn’t tell them I was hurt.”

 

“Okay, that’s a far better story than mine.  You should have heard the one I told the IT girl about Floyd Lawton’s laptop,” They’ve reached the top of the stairs, and when the door swings open John wants to smack himself for not guessing they were under the old factory.  No wonder Oliver had been so obsessed about the place.

 

“Uh-huh,” He’s not really listening as the world cants to one side and he’s forced to rely on Oliver to hold him up.

 

“It’s okay Digg, it’s the residue of the poison Deadshot uses.  The curare is mostly out of your system but it’ll take a few more hours for the side effects to wear off completely,” They make it to a car and he’s very carefully helped into the passenger seat, and then fussed over as Oliver gets him as comfortable as possible before clicking the seatbelt into place.  “Just hang on a little longer Digg and I’ll get you home.”

 

“Thanks,” John nods and stays put, the walk to the car has proved just how weak he is, he can’t fight off Oliver, and he can’t run, yet.  He’ll bide his time and get to Shado.

 

Starling City Now: Oliver Queen

 

I can see he’s not convinced, he’s just playing along for now.  I have a few days to talk him round.  Once he finds out the full truth about Lawton he’ll be more open to persuasion.  Plus he’ll be in the house with Sara and Shado, they can team up on him. 

 

Weaving the car as gently through the traffic as I can, I find myself soccer momming him a few times, I don’t want him to jog that shoulder.  I’m so used to being with my Alphas, I forgot that Betas can be injured so easily, and take as long as Sara and I do to heal.

 

We don’t talk on the way home and I let him rest.  I have the hood on the backseat ready for Shado and being turned into the police.  Everything is in place for the next part, and hopefully Slade will be here in Starling for that.

 

As our house comes into view I check on Digg, he’s staring out the window and he’s deep in thought.  I’ll give him space for a few hours and then we can start proving to him that he’s the perfect person to join our group.

 

While I was dressing in the factory I phoned Shado, she’s aware of the situation and they’ll be ready for us.  Carefully I bring us to a stop outside the main door, I do my best not to jolt Digg.  Getting out I grab the hood and hurry around to his door.  I help him undo his seatbelt and then we spend a bit of time manoeuvring him out of the car.  He leans on me as I lead him inside to Shado.

 

“Ollie?” It’s Laurel, “You’re back!”  And then the foyer fills up with people, a lot more people than I was expecting, including Detective Lance and Tommy. Shado said they were telling everyone the official story, I didn’t realise they meant Sara’s family, and Tommy too.

 

Shado takes Digg from me and she picks him up bridal style, his eyes widen at her modest show of strength, and then he’s taken off upstairs with Sara trailing behind them.  It’ll just be the three of them and I trust them to take care of him.  I get distracted by being hugged by my family, Laurel and Tommy. I think they missed me, “I’m okay, I’m okay, I promise.  Digg was there to save the day for me.”

 

“Yeah,” Detective Lance is standing nearby, “Shado told us you phoned, and you found something?”  He seems upset and slightly freaked out but he’s covering by being brisk and business like.  “Come and sit down kid, and then you can tell me what you got.”

 

I’m led to the living room and sat down on a couch, I hand him the hood and tell him how I found it, then about my fictional encounter in the alley, “I’m sorry Detective, I didn’t see who it was, he was wearing a hoodie and it was dark.”

 

Holding the hood Lance freezes in place and then stares me right in the eyes, “This hoodie, I don’t suppose it was green was it?”

 

“I don’t know,” I tell him honestly, Digg didn’t mention a colour, “He was just there, he took the bag from me, Digg pushed me out of the way, they scuffled, Digg was on the ground and the man was gone.”

 

“You got real lucky kid,” Sara’s dad pats me on my shoulder, “I think that was the Hood guy and you picked up his kit. I don’t know if Shado told you yet, but the shooter at last night’s auction was found dead with an arrow through his targeting lens. I just wish it had been one of ours that took him out instead of this Vigilante, the guy is killer, it’s just a matter of time until innocent bystanders get hit by that maniac. Now I’m going to go get Mr Diggle’s statement too, I doubt you’ll need to go to the precinct, if I have any more questions I’ll come see you later okay?”

 

“Okay,” I tell him and then watch as he leaves the room, he stops long enough to hug Laurel and nod to my mom and then he’s gone.

 

“Ollie,” Thea crashes onto the couch next to me and throws herself at me for a hug, “God we were so worried about you.”

 

“I’m okay Speedy, and I’m glad Shado kept you all safe too,” I hug her tightly and let myself relax a little.  Everything’s under control.  Digg is contained and alive. Deadshot is dead.  Detective Lance has been handed evidence and now all we have to do is prove I’m not the Vigilante before Slade gets here.

 

 

“Has anyone told Slade and Yao Fei yet?” I ask and watch as Mom, Walter, and Thea all exchange glances.  “What’s the matter?”

 

“Nothing,” Walter says and then he fidgets, “It’s just that Shado phoned them and,” he stops.

 

Thea sighs, “What Walter means, is that Yao Fei was quiet but angry, and Slade yelled down the phone at Shado, and ranted at her to the point she had to pull the phone away from her ear.”

 

I nod, “That sounds like Slade, I’ll text him to let him know I’m home,” I pull my phone out and start texting both of my other Alphas.  We’ll talk later anyway because we’re finding out about Slade’s little ceremony thing, he doesn’t want to do it, but his government are doing their best to make him.  It’s also televised so he can’t just growl at people and stomp off, he’s going to have to be on his best behaviour and that’s going to be hilarious to watch.

 

The Queen Mansion Now: Tommy Merlyn

 

Ollie’s just sitting there calmly and texting Slade like nothing’s happened.  Though to be fair Tommy supposes Ollie’s had years to cope with the things that happened on the Island.  Everyone else is freaking out over what they’d all learned about him and Slade and suddenly Ollie’s phone is ringing.

 

He answers it and says, “Hey Slade, you’re on speaker phone.”

 

“Oliver,” And Tommy blinks at how deep the Alpha’s voice is, it’s gruff, angry and has an accent so thick you could slice it.  “Shado told me what happened last night.”

 

“I’m okay Slade,” Ollie’s voice softens, “I promise.  No bruises, no marks, the only person who go hurt was Digg, and Shado is looking at him now.  Detective Lance says they caught the shooter, well found him anyway, he’s dead.  So Sara and me are completely safe.”

 

A snort comes over the cell phone, “I could lock you in a padded room with special safety features and you’d still not be safe without adult supervision, or have you forgotten the berry bush,” and Tommy gets to see Ollie squirm on the couch.

 

“Slade,” He hears the embarrassment in his friend’s voice.

 

“Oh this I have to hear about,” Tommy says and moves closer to Ollie, and so does everyone else. “Please tell us about Oliver and the berry bush Slade.”

 

Groaning Ollie covers his face with an arm, “Tommy, don’t encourage him, he’ll just keep telling you stories of the idiot stuff I did.”

 

A deep chuckle comes from the phone, “But Oliver there are so many stories to tell.” And Tommy sits down on the other side of Ollie as Slade tells them how Ollie was picking berries and spotted some really big ones, right in the middle of the bush, at the top.  Apparently he thought climbing a tree with a branch that angled perfectly to the berries was a good idea.  Only the branch snapped and Ollie ended up right in the middle, “So I had to hack my way into the bloody bush, untangle him, heave him up over shoulders, and then wade back out.  It took me bloody days to resharpen my sword and it’s my favourite one.”

 

“Yeah,” Ollie has a goofy grin on his face, “But you also brought me berries every day while I healed up from the scratches, and you sat by our cot sharpening your sword while you drained my pain away.  I love you Slade.”

 

There’s a pause and then that deep voice gets impossibly deeper and the name, “Oliver,” is sort of choked out, followed by, “I love you too.”

 

Tommy glances at Oliver out of the corner of his eye and he can see just how much Ollie loves this Slade guy, and from the story Sara told them this morning, after calling them and asking them to come over, he knows Slade is just as in love with Ollie.  He tries really hard not to think about the fact Ollie was nearly forced into a Bond, or that Ollie was nearly killed a few times, he tries to hold onto the fact that Ollie found his Mate and they’re happy.

 

He also tries not to glance at Laurel too many times, he might have done his little declaration to her but he has no idea how to back it up.  He’s scared and he has no idea how to be the kind of man she deserves.

 

The Queen Mansion Now: John Diggle

 

Carried up the stairs like he weighs nothing, he waits until they’re in a guest room and Shado is putting him down on the bed.  She’s gentle and barely jostles his shoulder.  Her long dark hair falls like a waterfall forcing her to flip it out of her face, “There you go John.  Rest and let the last of the curare leave your body.”

 

“Thanks,” He says and then freezes. Curare.  That’s what Oliver said, and there’s no reason for Shado to know about it, unless she also knows about Oliver too.

 

“Here,” Sara’s suddenly at his other side with a cup, “There’s more herbs in there for you Digg, it will help you shake off the effects of the poison from Deadshot faster.”

 

He stares up at the two women and realises he’s in even more shit than he was before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this has taken so long, life is manic right now, work/home very busy and eating into my writing time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, sorry I've been so AWOL. life is crazy, but there might be a light at the end of the tunnel, will just have to wait and see. Hope you enjoy, I've had to take a bit of detour on the story to make it work. Hope it's not too long winded.

** The Queen Mansion Now: Quentin Lance **

 

Knocking on the guest door Quentin hears someone call out so he walks in to find Mr Diggle laying on the bed, with Sara on one side, and Shado on the other, as they tend to him.

 

“Hey dad,” Sara says as she takes a glass from Mr Diggle.

 

“Hey Sara,” He smiles at his daughter, “Shado, I need to talk to Mr Diggle about the altercation in the alleyway, I can write up a report when I get back to the station.”

 

“Of course Quentin,” Shado motions him over to the bed.  “John will need his rest though.  Please don’t tire him too much.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll keep it quick,” he drags a spare chair over to the bed, “Mr Diggle,” He nods to the man.  And then stops to look at him a bit closer.  Normally the bodyguard is completely calm, even after the shooting in Laurel’s apartment the man had been collected and professional, right now he’s looking a bit wild around the eyes, probably the pain, and the strain of looking after Oliver.

 

Twenty minutes later and Quentin walks out of the bedroom satisfied with the report Mr Diggle gave him.  The whole time Shado had stayed there fussing over the Beta, Diggle clearly wasn't used to it and fidgeted a lot.  Guess this means the Beta bodyguard just got adopted by Shado as family.

 

Leaving the mansion he hears Oliver say night to the people still there, he'd been forced to stay awake all night and needed to catch up on his sleep.  Quentin takes the time to stop and wish him pleasant dreams, he also offers to give Laurel a ride back to the city but as she'd driven herself she'd go a bit later.

 

**The Queen Mansion Now: Oliver Queen**

 

Sloping off to bed I drop in to see Digg, he's wild around the eyes and is having a moment to freak out about everything. I leave the women to it.  They'll handle him much more effectively than I can.

 

Showering I crawl into bed shivering and grunting as I try to ignore the way my muscles ache.  Shado being here is great, but it will be better when Slade is here.

 

**Lian Yu Then: Oliver Queen**

 

I had stopped trying to run away from the Alpha at this point.  He brought me food and water.  He tended my wound, the same wound he had given me, but he still tended to it.  It hadn't gotten infected, and it was healing up.

 

Sitting in the corner of his cave, I had begun to think of it as my corner, I pulled the small picture of Laurel from my wallet.  As I stared at it all I could concentrate on was how sorry I was.  Not just because of how badly I'd betrayed her, but because of my dad, my mom, Tommy, and oh god, Thea.  I was trapped on this island miles away from Thea.

 

A bird chirping caught my attention and I got to see the Alpha returning, and he was carrying a cage made up of what I assumed was bamboo.  A cage with a bird in it.

 

He placed the cage with the bird beside me, like it was an offering to me, and I'd read about these things.  How in more primitive areas Alphas would get their Omegas handmade gifts.  I didn't know what he was really trying to do, and I didn't understand, then, about the different types of Bonds.

 

When he spoke I was really surprised, because he really said anything. It sounded like, “Shun Swun.”  A word I'd never heard before and he was pointing to the bird.

 

He walked away from me and I asked, “What am I supposed to do with that?” I'd never had a pet before, I had no idea how to look after anything, not even myself.

 

The Alpha just said the same word, the word I didn't understand.

 

“Does that mean bird?” I asked him, he could have been trying to communicate with me.  There was no reason to assume he could speak English. Instead he said the damn word again, almost angrily. “I don't speak Chinese,” I yelled back at him frustrated.  He moved away and started doing things on some work bench he'd rigged up.

 

Going back to staring at the picture I told her, “I'm sorry Laurel,” This was all my fault.  For once I could admit this was all my fault.  Beside me the bird chirped again and I lost myself in my thoughts.

 

**Lian Yu Then: Yao Fei**

 

His Omega was staring at the photo again and ignoring the lesson he was trying to teach.  The arrow wound was clean and healing well.  Soon Fei would be able to move them both.  Perhaps even force Fyers into helping them escape.  He does not even being to think about Slade, the Alpha was volatile and unbonded, he would not risk his Omega around the man.

 

He went back to making more arrow shafts.  The boy would get hungry soon and then he would learn how to survive on this island.  In the background the bird chirped and he waited patiently for the boy to learn.

 

**The Queen Mansion Now: Oliver Queen**

 

Jerking awake I shake off the dream of Yao Fei, the bird, and the lesson of survival he taught me.

 

Outside it's now dark and checking my watch I find I've slept the day away.  Slipping from the bed I wince at how achy I am, being so far from Slade is worse than I imagined it to be.  Running through some simple stretches I work out the kinks in my body and then pad out into the house.

 

Digg is fast asleep and healing.  Shado and Sara aren't convinced he'll join us.  Shado likes him and I know she doesn't want to kill him.  Leaving them to their vigil I head downstairs.

 

Hearing the sounds of the TV I wander into the main living room to find Speedy up and watching TV.  She's curled up at one end of the couch so I settle down next to her.  “Couldn't sleep either?”  She asks as she munches on chips.

 

“No,” I sigh deeply annoyed and achy as Slade is so damn far away from me, “What are you watching?”

 

“Peter Declan,” Thea tells me as a happily beaming couple appear on the TV screen.  “The guy who killed his wife,” I shrug as I have no idea who that is. “Right. This guy killed his wife in their baby's room. Pyscho.”  We watch as the TV shows more footage of this guy, he's talking about his wife and how much he loved her, how he couldn't have hurt her.  He seems very sincere.

 

Switching off the TV Thea asks, “So why couldn't you sleep?”

 

“Bad dreams,” I hedge and try to dodge.

 

I should have known better as she goes on to ask, “About?”

 

There's no way I'm telling her everything that happened on the Island.  We have heavily edited versions to tell people, so I tell her a partial truth, “Slade not being here.”

 

“He's gonna be here soon Ollie, really soon.  And why don't you video call him?  You guys have been apart for way too long now, most Mated pairs never go longer than a week,” She gives me a sympathetic look.  “Or you could get him to make a recording of his voice and you could play it on loop, that might help you sleep.”

 

“Those are actually good ideas,” I admit and smile at her, “Thanks Speedy,” I go to give her a hug and hiss as something inside me twists painfully.

 

“Ollie?” She stops lounging and helps me sit back up when I can’t manage it by myself.  “Ollie?  Should I get Shado?”

 

“There's nothing she can do Thea,” Luckily my hand is near her shoulder so I can pat it without much effort, “This is the consequence of being without Slade for so long.”  She's clearly worried so I let her help me back to bed and she hurries off to go and get Shado.

 

I was right, there's nothing Shado can do, except take some of my pain for me and I drift off with Speedy pressed up against me.  Shado promises to talk to Yao Fei and Slade.  I'm starting to show signs of Withdrawal, this should kick-start the Australian government into speeding things up for Slade and getting him here sooner.

 

**The Queen Mansion Now: John Diggle**

 

Finally they've left him alone.  Something to do with Oliver, though god knows what at this time of night, it's probably a Vigilante thing.  He slides out of the bed and drags on some clothes.  He's spent time being fussed over by two women that could kill him without blinking, it's not been that restful for him.

 

Sneaking out of the room, he silently makes his way down the dark hall, to the staircase, and then down to the main entrance.  He should be able to make it to Starling without issue from here.  Only that's when Mrs Queen catches him, “Mr Diggle?  Are you supposed to be out of bed yet?”  She's not really dressed and from what he can see she has bed hair issues.

 

“Mrs Queen.  While I'm grateful for all the care being provided,” And it is good care, even if it comes with the threat of death.  “I'd feel better recuperating at home.  I should be back in a day or two.”  A reasonable excuse and it shouldn't arouse her suspicions.

 

She just nods and seems distracted, “Of course Mr Diggle, if that's what you prefer. Just get better soon.  Would you like one of our drivers to take you home?  Your shoulder must be quite painful.”

 

“Thank you,” He's surprised by her offer and it will mean he can escape faster without aggravating his shoulder further.  Pausing slightly and annoyed at himself for not just running for the exit he asks, “Is everything all right Mrs Queen?”

 

Mr Steele picks that exact moment to walk into the room, “The doctor's on her way, she's a Mating specialist.”  He stops when he spots Digg.  “Oh, Mr Diggle.  Are you supposed to be up yet?  Do you need Shado for anything, I'm afraid she's a little preoccupied with Oliver at the moment.”

 

“I'm fine Mr Steele.  Mrs Queen has kindly offered to have me driven home so I can rest there.” He really should leave it there, he really should just leave, but he asks, “And Oliver?”

 

They exchange glances as Mr Steele goes over to her and she leans into her husband.  It's Mr Steele that says, “Oliver might be entering Withdrawal.  The doctor's on her way now."

 

Digg freezes in place and while he's scared and worried about Oliver being the Vigilante, he'd never wish Withdrawal on anyone.  He's seen Omega's die from it.  It's an agonising way to go.  “Slade?”

 

“On his way now. I’ve arranged for the current flight to wait for him.  He’ll be here in less than twenty hours,” Mr Steele might look calm and collected but there’s an edge to him and he goes back to comforting Mrs Queen.

 

Cursing himself for being an idiot John goes back upstairs, this time to Oliver’s room and lets himself in.  Oliver’s sound asleep in his bed.  Thea is curled up against him looking worried.  Shado’s holding his hand while Sara is pacing and texting on her phone.

 

They glance up at him and then go back to staring at Oliver.  An Oliver that John notices has a slight sheen of sweat on his face, and as he gets closer he can see the shivers occasionally passing through the young Omega’s body.  He relaxes slightly, he’s seen Omegas survive this level of Withdrawal with no complications, and Oliver is in very good health.

 

Now all they need is Slade to stop it going any further.  It’ll be a few days yet before Oliver’s organs start to shut down and he begins to bleed out from his nose, ears, and finally his eyes.

 

Sitting down on one of the chairs dotted about John settles in to wait.  Because this just adds to the damn mystery of Oliver Queen.  The man can’t be broken, because he’s fully Mate bonded to an Alpha, which is why he’s entering Withdrawal, and it’s impossible to be both.  So how did an Omega learn to pick up a bow and kill?

 

John needs to know more.

 

**Canberra International Airport Now: Slade Wilson**

 

Running through the airport he follows the man in front of him.  The guy has already ducked them past Security and is giving the airport controllers updates as to their progress.  There’s a plane waiting for Slade, courtesy of his in-laws, and the runway has been cleared for them to go the second he’s on board.

 

Rounding a corner they both speed up down the straight bit and they pound up to the boarding gate.  The staff there wave them through and Slade soon finds himself on the plane.  An airhostess is waiting for him, “This way Mr Wilson.  Just strap in and we’ll be off.”

 

He’s expecting to get shown to economy and to spend a few hours squashed in with people, until they get to Sydney, and his much longer connecting flight to LA, and from there Starling City.  Except he’s shown a seat in Business and he no sooner has his belt clicked when they’re off.

 

He just hopes Oliver doesn’t do anything too stupid until he can get to him.

 

**The Queen Mansion Now: Oliver Queen**

 

The doctor had turned up and very politely shooed everyone but me and Shado out of my room.  Even Sara had been made to leave.

 

Dr Rosewood is a very nice Omega, her dark hair swept up out of the way and her dark skin was warm on my own chilled skin as she did a very simple examination.  Tucking me back into my bed, she sits on my bedside and gives me a very easy calm smile. “Well young Oliver, you are a very lucky Omega.  You’re already starting Withdrawal, but you’re young, healthy, and your family have taken excellent care of you.”

 

Shado is sitting on the bed on the other side, holding my hand, and taking away my pain.  The doctor nods to her, “Your Family Bonded Alpha will be able to take most of your pain, aches, and reduce the effects of the small fever you’ll be running, which is good. It’s better to not put any strain on the Omega, including medications where possible.  I’ve been told your Mated Alpha is on his way now.  We’ve less than twenty four hours until he gets here.  The more you rest now, the longer you’ll last, and the faster you’ll recover.”

 

Shado has made a slight snort noise at me resting and I ignore her, though Dr Rosewood notices it too.  “I’m going to guess from your Alpha’s reaction, and you physique, that you’re usually very active?”

 

“Yes,” I admit and I miss sparring with Slade, or running with Slade, or hunting with Slade, or just being with Slade.  “Slade, my Alpha, is really active.”

 

“Hmm,” The doctor goes quiet and then nods, “Well if you promise to rest, and I mean bed rest Oliver, you can stay at home.  If you’re going to try and get up and move on your own, I’ll be forced to intervene, and have you admitted to hospital, where I’ll have you sedated until your Slade can get there.”  She means it too and I groan at the thought, I hate sedatives.  “Or you can do what you want and when you die, I’ll spend a few weeks as your Slade pines to death, it’s always a horrible death for Alphas.  Omegas go quick in Withdrawal, when the bleeding starts from their eyes you know it’s just a few hours to go.  Alphas though,” She pauses and I know what she’s doing, she’s using Slade against me.

 

“Alphas take weeks to die, they starve to death, slowly.  Their ability to heal makes them linger.  They grieve so intently, so deeply, that the staff around them has to be rotated constantly or they get so depressed they go sick themselves,” And damn her it’s working.  The idea of Slade, my Slade, being like that is so horrible I won’t do anything to risk him.

 

“Fine,” I agree with bad grace.

 

“Good,” She pats my arm.  “I’ll get some special foods set up downstairs for you.  Stay hydrated, warm, and rest.  He’ll be here before you know it.  And you can spend years being with him.”

 

When she leaves Shado says, “I thought you'd argue with her more.  It's not like you to lay around.”

 

Huffing I glare at her, “I'm going to hate it Shado.  But,” I pause, “I can't let anything happen to Slade.”  She squeezes my hand gently.  Sara's the same about her too.  And I can remember when I'd had to dig a bullet out of Slade's arm.  We'd not been bonded then, he was a scary Alpha that'd saved me from Fyers and the Alpha that had tried to force me.  Now he's my Mate and to lose him is unthinkable.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, more Slade. And thank you for all comments, kudos, and for reading my fic :)

**Sydney Airport Now: Slade Wilson**

 

Having landed at one terminal Slade impatiently sits in one of the glorified golf carts used by airport employees to ferry him to the international terminal.  His plane was sitting and being loaded now.

 

He gets to see this back part of the airport because the news that Oliver was in Withdrawal had hit the world news.  The press were swarming, and no one wanted Slade anywhere near them.  Oliver’s family were pulling strings to get Slade out of the limelight and somewhere quiet, and then onto a plane, as quickly as they could.  They’d tried for a private plane and settled on a commercial flight instead.

 

On the golf cart with him is a very efficient young Beta.  She’s working on getting a video link to Oliver for him.  And then a tablet is being passed to him and he looks into the screen to see a very tired looking Oliver, “Oliver.”  The angle is strange and he quickly works out his Omega is lying down in bed, curled on his side, and there are lots of pillows around him.

 

“Hey Slade,” His Omega gives him a smile, it’s not up to its normal standard, but Slade will take anything he can get.  “According to Walter you’re nearly on your next plane.”

 

“Yeah,” He cradles the tablet and soaks up the view of Oliver.  “Won’t be long until I’m in the air again.” On the screen Oliver shivers slightly.  “Are you being good for Shado?” He asks stupidly.  Of course Oliver won’t be.

 

“Yes,” Olive nods.  “I’m on bed rest, I’m eating the crappy food the doctor brought over, and I’m going to use everyone else to entertain me until you get here.”  His Omega rolls his eyes and huffs, “Dr Rosewood says if I play up she’ll sedate me and keep me in hospital ‘til you get here,” now Slade lets himself relax.  If Oliver’s doctor was smart enough to realise how stubborn his Omega was, well he can trust her a little to stop Oliver killing himself through being an idiot.

 

“Good, tell her she has my complete permission to shoot you with tranqs if you try and escape,” He tells him gruffly. “I know you Oliver.  If it’s dumb and stupid you’ll be there in seconds.”

 

It makes Oliver laugh, “I promise I’ll try and be good Slade.  Tommy’s come over to keep me company.  Thea is setting up a board game.  And even Laurel will be here, between her, Sara, and Shado, they won’t let me get away with anything.”  When Oliver starts smirking Slade starts to worry about them instead, Oliver can get on people’s last nerve with stunning speed, luckily his antics amuse Slade instead of annoying him.  “And now that ‘Slade Watch’ is trending across the world, on something called a hash tag, we can keep tabs on you.”

 

“Slade Watch?  What the bloody hell is that?” He wonders out loud and then has to get off the cart because they’re almost at the gate.  There’s people milling around as they’re on the same flight and he ignores them, something he would normally never do, but all of his focus is on Oliver.  The Beta beside him calmly takes his arm and leads him over the gate so he can keep his eyes on the screen.

 

Leaning against a handy pillar he listens as Oliver explains about the hash tag and trending. He already knows about it, but it helps to look ignorant, and like he was on an Island for five years with no contact to the outside world.  Around him he’s aware that the other passengers have worked out who he is and some of them are attempting to take discreet pictures of him.  Idiots, the lot of them.

 

He continues to chat to Oliver about things the Omega can do to keep himself occupied while Slade is stuck on a plane.  He knows he can make himself sleep anywhere, anyhow.  And he has a feeling he’s going to need it because he’s sure Oliver is going to be a giant pain in everyone’s arse as he gets better.  Which will lead to Slade running around after him for days.

 

“So Tommy also brought his game console, and Laurel’s got a few games from the library for me to try,” Oliver is saying. “They’re very Omega based, you get to build homes and outfit them for your simulation families, and this version has pets in it too. So I can get a dog for my family.”

 

“You always wanted a dog,” Slade points out and hopes the game does distract Oliver for a few hours at least.  “Maybe we can get a real one when I’m there with you.  We can take it for runs with us.”

 

Which is when the Beta interrupts them, “I’m sorry Mr Wilson, but your plane is ready, and you can’t use the video call on board.”

 

Glancing down at the tablet Slade almost wants to stay, just so he can keep talking to Oliver, “I have to go.”

 

“I heard,” And his magnificently perfect Omega sighs, “They said on the news they’ve cleared airspace for you, it’s taken an hour or two off your flight time.  And you’ll be able to go straight through at the airport in LA.”

 

“Good, I need to be there with you,” Slade strokes the screen very gently.  “So you be good for Shado, and your doctor. I’ll be there soon Oliver.  And I love you so much.”

 

“I love you too,” Is said back instantly.  “I’ll be here waiting for you.”

 

It takes effort to press the button to stop the video call and he hands the tablet back with a heavy heart.  Getting on the plane he’s hoping they put in him first class or business again, he’s not looking forward to economy for up to seventeen hours.  He’s happy when he’s lead to business class, and a fully recline able seat.  He’ll be able to get a lot of sleeping done to pass the time.

 

“Here you go Mr Wilson,” The airhostess says, “The pilot is fully briefed on the situation and we will have regular updates every two hours for you.  If you need anything, please just let me know.”

 

“Thank you,” He clicks the belt on and suffers as patiently as he can through the flight safety presentation the crew give.  He stares out of the window as they taxi down the runway and finally they’re in the sky.

 

**The Queen Mansion Now: Oliver Queen**

 

I know it’s slightly pathetic to cling to the tablet I’d been talking to Slade on, especially as he’s not on it anymore, but it felt so good to see him, and to hear his grumpy voice.

 

Everyone is running around getting things ready and then my bedroom becomes the focal point for our family.  There’s a big flat screen TV, hooked up to various consoles and cable.  Thea has downloaded some games onto her laptop for me.  And then most of them get on the bed with me too.

 

Shado and Sara are to my left, with Laurel climbing on to cuddle with her sister.  And my sister and Tommy are to my right.  If any of us move an inch people are going to start falling off.  Mom and Walter are settled on a couch Shado moved for them, while Digg is reclining in a big chair Shado carried up the stairs for him.  We have snacks, drinks, and the American media has not disappointed in their ability to take a news story and flog it to death.

 

Tommy has the remote and the TV comes to life with ‘Slade Watch’.  The anchor woman has footage of Slade at both airports in Australia.  In Canberra it’s just him running flat out through the terminal to catch his flight, the poor airport employee struggling to keep up with him and letting him through all the security points.  In Sydney someone’s taken a video of him talking to me, they even captured a rare smile on his face, and the way he’d tenderly touched the screen, they also caught him telling me he loves me.  They replay that part a few times and I don’t bother to hide my smugness at having Slade tell me he loves me.

 

Moving on they rehash Slade’s route to me.  The flight time has reduced from what it should be, and there’s arguments over how long it’ll take him to transfer at LA.  They replay the footage of him running and start analysing his speed and how long it will take him to run from one plane to the other.  Mom and Walter already have the Queen Consolidated private jet in LA waiting for him, and in Starling the police are coordinating to give him a clear route to our home.

 

And then they go over Slade’s early life. He’s already told me all of this though it’s good to see pictures of him as a kid, even then he wasn’t scrawny, male Alphas rarely are.  I’m nice and warm, and my family is all around me.  Yawning I close my eyes and doze off for a while.

 

**The Queen Mansion Now: Tommy Merlyn**

 

Perched on the edge of Ollie’s bed he watches in fascination at Slade’s life.  From a big family. Dirt poor. Big car accident that Slade wasn’t in because he’d been at soccer practice.  And then orphaned, tragically, before he was a teen, and Tommy can relate to that.  The kid went on to play rugby and was incredibly physically, with some altercations due to his temper.

 

The program goes on to talk about Alphas and how family is a very steadying influence in their lives. Without one Slade would have struggled with his aggressive tendencies and Alpha instincts.

 

They dig up archive photos of the Alpha, and delve as deeply as they possibly can.  No stone goes unturned and he winces when Joe gets dragged into it. There’s even a quick interview with Slade’s ex-wife.  She’s cleaned up her act, has been sober for over four years, and takes full responsibility for their son’s death.

 

“It wasn’t Slade’s fault,” She tells the interviewer. She’s got short cropped hair, and is sitting calmly in a dark business suit. “He’s an Alpha and an orphan.  He’d lost his family.  And when we were too young to understand we fell in love.  I’m a Beta I don’t have the kind of instincts that drive him.  Once I was pregnant with Joe,” she pauses and sighs.  “Slade was always very protective to start with, he went into overdrive with the pregnancy, and he’d do anything for me and Joe. He’d be welded to us when he was home, it was suffocating, I’m a Beta not an Omega, it was like being smothered with love.  And then he’d leave for weeks at a time.”

 

Rubbing at her face she grimaces, “I didn’t handle it very well at all. I had Joe, I should have put him first. Instead I screwed up. Joe’s dead. Slade, god Slade, Joe’s death nearly destroyed him.  If I hadn’t had my head in a bottle I’d have worried he was trying to get himself killed.  He’s this giant, growly, aggressive bear of an Alpha, and I couldn’t see how much he needs to love and be loved in return.  I just hope Oliver Queen is up to the challenge of being the centre of Slade’s whole world.”

 

They talk a bit about how this Addie has gone on to be a big mover and shaker in the world of alcohol addiction recovery, and she’s working hard with orphaned Alphas, to give them the grounding Slade didn’t. It’s very heart-warming and he can cynically see how this could turn into a big Hollywood heart warmer movie.

 

There isn’t much more to say about Slade so they start on Ollie, and Tommy laughs when they dig up all the stuff he used to do.  Seriously peeing on the cop was priceless.  Analysing Ollie’s past behaviour with his new behaviour they decide that Ollie’s settling down now, Slade’s influence would be calming down the excitable Omega, and they also decide that Ollie’s nesting instincts are going haywire, what with the Omega drinks, the buying of the factory, and the way Ollie isn’t going out partying.

 

Speculation is running rife over how Slade and Ollie’s first meeting on the Island would have gone.  They’re not even close and Tommy nearly falls off the bed laughing at the overly romantic and gushy version they come up with.  He tries to keep quiet because Ollie’s still asleep but it’s hard. Thea isn’t much better.

 

Apparently having exhausted that topic they meander over to Bonds and Tommy learns there are several different types of Bonds between Alphas and Omegas.  The common one is Mating.  And there are a few familial ones like the ones Ollie has with Shado and Yao Fei.

 

All the while there’s a little timer in the corner of the screen showing the countdown to Slade reaching LA.

 

And Walter has continuous updates on the jet standing by, and how the PR department are handling the news of Ollie’s Withdrawal.  If Ollie wasn’t deathly ill Tommy could really enjoy this little get together. Ever since Shado and Sara had gotten here, it felt like more of a family thing.  It’s something he’s missed for years, ever since his mom was murdered.

 

**The Queen Mansion Now: Moira Queen**

 

Clutching Walter’s hand she pretends to watch the TV, though most of her attention is on her sleeping son.  She can’t believe she used to want him to break his Bonds.  The more she learns about this Slade Wilson the more convinced she is that he’s the perfect Alpha for her Oliver.

 

She can admit that Robert as CEO didn’t leave him much time to spend with Oliver.  And the way their son would latch on to him when he came home from work should have told them how much Oliver needed his father.  Then there were all the dinners they were expected to attend, just because it’s what you do when you’re CEO, and your wife is part of numerous charities.  Oliver had been an incredibly loving brother to Thea.  And his relationship to Tommy Merlyn was as deep as any natural brothers’ Moira’s ever seen.

 

Looking back she has no choice but to admit they failed Oliver. He’d needed their time, love, and attention.  No wonder he’d acted out so much.  Anything to get attention from them.  And all those one night stands she can see where probably attempts to get what he needed from strangers that just didn’t care about him.

 

Hopefully Slade would be able to give all the love, time, and attention that Oliver needed, and deserved.  Now all they had to do was wait.  No matter how hard that was.

 

She will not fail her family again.  No one can be allowed to hurt them. No one. Not even Malcolm Merlyn.  She might not be able to stop him, or his undertaking, but she should be able to slow it down.  She can get them all out of Starling, even Tommy.  And she’ll start building evidence again Malcolm.  She has the Queen’s Gambit.  She has leverage.

 

All she needs is for Oliver to be okay.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you for comments, kudos, and views. :)  
> And sorry :( next chapter might take a few days, the arcing is wrong I have to change it.

**The Queen Mansion Now: Thea Queen**

 

Thank god the jet with Slade was going to land in Starling in the next ten minutes.  Ollie was starting to fade fast.  His fever was up. His aches and pains made him whimper if Shado left him even for a second.  He looked like he’d not slept in days, when all he’d done was sleep while he waited for Slade.

 

Dr Rosewood was back and acting concerned and Thea’s struggling to pretend she’s not terrified out of her mind for her brother.  Because Ollie started coughing an hour ago and there were specks of blood on his hand where he’d covered his mouth.

 

Her classes have covered this.  It’s a mandatory lesson, no exceptions allowed.  One of the last symptoms of Withdrawal was bleeding.  The Omega would literally bleed to death.  In the past Omegas were considered to be chattel and traded around, Bites were forced on them and many died.  What no one had considered was the explosive aftereffects of their deaths on the Alphas that forced them, they went on rampages and had to be killed. There were other things too, Thea hasn’t paid a lot of attention to those parts.  So for the last five hundred years all the world’s Omegas were protected by law.  And one of the big ones was that any Mated Omega that went into Withdrawal was automatically taken to their Alpha, or their Alpha was brought to them. 

 

She watches with baited breath as the doctor checks Oliver’s ear and his nose.  The swabs she’s using come away with flecks of red on them.  Oliver’s entered the last phase already. They should have had more time.  Normally an Omega takes longer to fade to this part of Withdrawal.

 

Frantically she wracks her brain for any reason why this is happening so fast.  All the text books and programs said Omegas would rest while their Alphas were away.  And then she remembers that Ollie was abducted.  And there was the shooting at the auction.  All of them would be high stress situations.  All of them could have drained Ollie faster.  And there were all the times she snarked at Ollie, pushed him away, lashed out at him. Oh god, she’s helped do this to her brother.

 

Laurel and Sara’s dad was here too and his radio has been going non-stop giving updates on the preparations to get Slade here quickly.  The police motorbikes were ready to roll, the roads were cleared of all traffic.  Nothing would get in Slade’s way.  And then Detective Lance smiles and says, “Thanks, I’ll give them the good news.”  Putting down the radio he turns to everyone in the room.  “Slade’s ride just got upgraded.  The city’s springing for a police helicopter to pick him up and get him here faster.  He can come straight here and not bother with the roads.”

 

That’s good news and Thea glances to the doctor who nods, “Excellent.  The sooner the better.  Once Slade is within ten miles Oliver’s symptoms will slow down.  When he’s here in person Oliver can start to get better.” 

 

Relieved Thea wraps her arms around her middle and waits impatiently for Slade to get here and save her brother.  She can’t lose him.  She’s only just got him back.

 

**Starling Airport Now: Slade Wilson**

 

They’ve barely touched down when the pilot swings them around and taxis them for longer than he’s expecting.  Over the intercom the captain says, “Mr Wilson, we have an update for you. Your Omega, Oliver, is still in the early stages of bleeding. And the city just gave you a faster way to reach him.”

 

As the bloody intercom is one way he can’t get any clarification, but the moment the plane stops, he’s out of his seat and undoing the door to let himself out.  When he jumps down to the ground he can’t help the giant smile as he sees his new ride sitting there waiting for him.  That’s going to be a lot faster.

 

**The Queen Mansion Now: John Diggle**

 

No one has kicked him out.  In fact all of them are acting like he belongs in this group.  Oliver’s out cold on the bed. The doctor is pretending to be calm but is far from it and there’s an ambulance on route, just in case.  Shado is totally focused on Oliver, and Sara is doing her best not to freak out.  Everyone else is in various poses of extreme worry and anxiousness.

 

There’s also no way for the man to have faked this.  Oliver really is in Withdrawal and dying.  And that means he can’t be broken.  No one who’s Bonded can be broken, and no one who’s broken can Bond.

 

He was just going to run.  To try and get away from Oliver and his Hooded Vigilantism. To escape.  Except during the wait Carly got hold of him.  The police had come visiting.  The shooter that Shado had killed was an assassin called Deadshot, and according to Interpol, he was the man that killed Andy.  His brother’s killer is finally dead.  The man that took his brother from him, and the husband from Carly, the father from their kid, was dead.  Because of Oliver and his Alpha and Omega.

 

Not one to take things at face value Digg was careful how he used Thea’s laptop to search certain Vigilante related names, and then he’d wiped the history to be on the safe side.  He still thinks Oliver’s crazy.  But he can’t deny the man is targeting the worst that Starling has to offer and he has made a tiny difference already.  Many of Adam Hunt’s victims received an anonymous donation, and John is fairly certain it adds up to the forty million that was stolen from Hunt, and it means that many of them will keep their homes, or will at least get a chance to make a new life.

 

The doctor is having two nurses constantly monitor Oliver, some of it is via machines, some if it is the old fashioned way.  One of them says, “Doctor,” and the woman’s attention is on Oliver again. 

 

The room seems to hold its breath and then the doctor nods, “Well, Slade must be nearly here.  Oliver’s already beginning to show signs of the Withdrawal slowing down.  Once Slade is in the room with him it should only take a week or two before he’s completely recovered.”

 

Relief sweeps through the room and Digg can feel the worst of the tension drain away.  It won’t be long until Slade is here and Oliver would begin the road to recovery.  Though he’s going to find watching Slade keeping Oliver from disappearing amusing as hell.  Short of nailing the Omega’s feet to the ground he can’t see Oliver just lazing around.

 

Sara volunteers to go and wait outside for Slade, something about the man recognising her and Digg’s not really listening.  As long as someone leads the Alpha here they’re good.

 

**The Queen Mansion Now: Slade Wilson**

 

It amuses him to land on the front lawn of Oliver’s house.  He unlocks his harness and hops out with a thank you to the pilot.  Sara’s waiting for him at the front door and blasts him with a welcoming wave from her Omega aura.  “This way,” she grabs his hand and he doesn’t get a lot of time to study his new home, because he’s too busy running beside her, up some very fancy stairs, and then deeper into the house.

 

She takes him straight to Oliver’s room.  And he’d kick his own arse for not being aware of his surroundings, but his Omega is laying asleep in a bed with machines monitoring him.  “Oliver,” He pads straight to him and kneels down by the bed.  Gently he touches the hand nearest to him and that’s the point Oliver stirs.

 

“Slade?” Is slurred out as Oliver blinks his eyes open to stare blearily at him.

 

“Yes Oliver. I’m right here,” And the hand he’s touching moves to take his with a shocking lack of strength.

 

“Slade,” Oliver says again, but this time it’s happy.  And Slade gets hit by his Omega’s aura, it’s full of welcome, love, and sheer happiness.  “You made it. You’re here.”  The words are still a little slurred but Oliver’s eyes are focused strongly on him.

 

“Always,” Is totally sappy of him but he’s drowning in Oliver’s love for him and he loves that Oliver can do this.  Can show him how much he loves Slade.  And all Slade can do is kneel there and cling to his Omega’s hand.  “Always be here for you Oliver. Love you.”

 

If anything the feeling of love gets stronger, it’s mixed with affection, joy, all with added flickers of hope, welcome, safety, home.  “I love you too,” that weak hand squeezes his and he’s home, he’s finally home.

 

**The Queen Mansion Now: Tommy Merlyn**

 

Kicked out of Ollie’s room while the doctor talks with Slade, Shado, and Mrs Queen, Tommy breathes out a huge sigh of relief because he’s finally away from Slade’s Alpha aura.  If Shado’s aura had been a shock, it’s nothing compared to Slade’s.  Hers was like soft wavy tendrils that wove around you, his was like getting hit by a damn wall and then being buried under it.

 

Thea, Laurel, and Sara, are all hugging and being emotional, and screw it he’s joining in. Ollie nearly died, he needs some kind of reassurance right now.  Throwing his arms around them he leans his head on the back of Laurel’s and relaxes.  He’s exhausted.  Who knew hanging around watching someone sleep could drain you so much.

 

Laurel’s dad is on the radio again, he’ll probably be coordinating getting things back to normal on the roads.  And then as Tommy’s glance lands on the bodyguard his stomach rumbles.  He could do with some of the nice burgers Diggle’s sister in law makes.

 

Any minute now he’s going to make the suggestion, he’s just going to hug for a few seconds longer first.

 

**The Queen Mansion Now: Oliver Queen**

 

Tucked under a blanket on my bed, and pressed up against Slade’s side, I unenthusiastically eat the horrible food the doctor has prescribed for me.  Everyone else gets to eat the takeout Tommy got for them from Diggle’s sister in law’s work.

 

“Hmm, Oliver, you should eat these, these are really good,” Slade says before he takes another big bite of his burger.  He’s fussed over me, bathed me, and lovingly made sure I’m nice and warm, and this is his way of rubbing my nose in the fact the doctor has told me I have two more day of horrible food before I can go back to normal food.  And she’s told Slade I’ll take a few weeks to recover because I was so close to the end of Withdrawal.  This is his way of punishing me, eating food in front of me he knows I’m not allowed to eat, and letting me stew.

 

The doctor managed to pull out of me that I’d been achy and in pain for at least a week.  She gave me a calm, stern, telling off.  Slade acted okay but I know he’s seriously angry with me right now.

 

From the earlier gleam in his eyes I won’t be able to get around the rest restriction either.  He’ll tie me to the bed if he has to.  I’m going to go out of my mind with boredom.  Before the Island I would have relished not having anything to do, but now I won’t be able to just lie here, it’s another way for Slade to punish me for not admitting how much pain I was in, if I’d told earlier they might have been able to get him here sooner, so he feels justified in enjoying my self-inflicted suffering.

 

Sighing I shove another mouthful of crappy food in my mouth and try to swallow as quickly as possible.  Around the room everyone is tucking in and those who’ve not had the pleasure of the burgers are happily surprised.  Tommy gets praised a lot of thinking of this.

 

Seeing everyone in a celebratory and jubilant mood has my own spirits lifting too.  As horrible as this whole Withdrawal experience has been, it has allowed Slade to come in and save the day.  He’s here and he’s accepted by everyone.

 

Having finished my crappy food, I get to watch him make a small performance of his burger.  Glancing at me as he swallows the last mouthful he tells me, “If you’re good Oliver, if you rest like the doctor said, I’ll take you there and you can have a burger too.”

 

He might be mad at me for nearly dying, but he does love me, and I have just scared him.  And he’s offered me an olive branch, “I’ll be good Slade.  I’ll go stir crazy, but I’ll be good,” even if it kills me.

 

His whole face softens and puts the remains of his dinner to one side so he can hug me, “I’ll keep you company Oliver, you won’t face it alone.”

 

**The Queen Mansion Now: Laurel Lance**

 

On the bed Ollie’s just promised to be good and for once she believes him.  The way he’s cuddled into Slade’s side, the way he’s been a bit protective of Slade, with that extra touch of possessiveness, has Laurel absolutely convinced that Slade is the one for Ollie.

 

Even now Ollie’s hand is holding Slade’s shirt and he’s gripping it tightly like Slade might vanish, not that Slade looks like he’ll ever leave Ollie.  In fact she’s noticed that Slade is nearly always focused on Ollie, as if there’s a part of him always watching his Omega, always aware of him.  It could just be the separation, but it’s nowhere near this intense between Sara and Shado.

 

Finishing her own burger she sighs and enjoys the relaxed atmosphere, it reminds her of how home used to be like, before the boat, and before her mom left unable to cope with losing Sara, and how Laurel and her dad failed to cope with everything.

 

Her eyes flick to Tommy as he makes a joke causing Thea and Sara to laugh at him.  She could get used to this.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again thank you for all comments, kudos, and views. And wow this installment is taking on a life of it's own. Right, back to the plot, though you'll note i had to mess with the timeline to make it fit my 'verse.

**The Queen Mansion Now: Oliver Queen**

 

Carried bridal style in Slade’s arms I’m taken to the main room. I’m pathetically eager to start the day. After four days of being cooped up in my room with Slade, we’re both happy to get me out, and to go see Dr Rosewood in the city. I’ve been incredibly good, and I really hope she clears me for sex, because this is the second night running I’ve had the dream about the plane and Slade, I need my Alpha, badly.

 

While everyone has been good, and taken shifts to keep me occupied, they’re all hoping I’ll be cleared to leave my room too. Shado and Sara have taken as many opportunities as they can to go to the factory and work out, or make out, or just get the hell out. It’s not fair, I want to see my Alpha working out without his shirt on, Sara happily teased me about Shado and the salmon ladder.

 

Walking into the room Slade stops the second he notices the man standing there. Mom is sitting on the couch reading a newspaper. I’ve never seen the man before and his stance would make him either a cop of something military. Slade’s hands tighten their grip on me and we study the man.

 

Mom notices us and asks, “How did you both sleep?” We both answer that we slept fine and she’s glad.

 

“We have a visitor,” I nod towards the man and she turns her head towards the man.

 

“Hmm, Mr Diggle’s temporary replacement,” She tells us and I was not expecting that. Digg has yet to grace us with his formal acceptance to join us.

 

“Replacement?” I query wanting to know more, and I’ll track the GPS in his phone to find out where he is after the doctor’s appointment.

 

“Yes,” Mom goes back to reading the newspaper. “His shoulder is nearly healed but not quite there, he needs a few more days. Up until now you’ve stayed in your room, but if you’re going out and about, how ever limited those movements are, you’ll need a bodyguard.”

 

If I’m cleared by the doctor our plans include going to the factory. We can’t do that if he’s there. I share a glance with Slade. We’ll let the man drive us for now, and we’ll ditch him later. Even as weak as I am we’ll be able to get away from him.

 

Pasting on a smile I greet the man, “Hi.”

 

“Mr Queen,” The man comes towards us with his hand outstretched, “Rob Scott. I’ll be your body man for a few days.” We shake hands, and his Alpha aura is weak and barely there.

 

“That’s a firm grip you got there Rob,” I lie to him and he beams happily. He is certainly no Mr Diggle.

 

Proudly he tells us, “That’s five years SWAT with Monument Point MCU.”

 

I nod like I’m happy with that, “I feel safer already.” It earns me another beaming smile from Rob, and one of Slade’s fingers taps me in warning, he knows I’m bored and that this Rob is an easy target. “Say Rob. I need to go into town. Could you please get the car for me?” He can takes us to Dr Rosewood so I can be okayed for doing more than laying in bed doing nothing.

 

“No offence Mr Queen, but I’ve been filled in on your tendency to slip the leash,” He says it earnestly and with complete sincerity. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer keeping you in my sights at all times.” There are so many ways I could answer him right now.

 

Slade is fighting off a grin as he points out, “Oliver has a hospital appointment, and we’re twenty miles from the city. If you don’t drive us, then I’ll have to, and I’d prefer to sit in the back with my Omega.”

 

Realisation crosses Rob’s face and he nods, “Of course, sorry.”

 

“Its fine,” Slade gives me a kiss on the forehead, “Its good to find someone who takes the safety of my Omega as seriously as I do.” Rob hurries off and goes to get the car. Oh this really is going to be so easy to slip away from him.

 

“I like him,” I admit and wonder if we can keep him.

 

“Good,” Mom says. “And good luck with your appointment today. Be good for Slade, Oliver, and I’ll see you later. Hopefully with less restrictions.”

 

We make our goodbyes and leave. I’m an absolute angel of an Omega and sit in the car without complaint. At the hospital I don’t whine about the wheelchair, and let Rob push me to the right waiting area, Slade even manages to bite his tongue and not upset anyone.

 

Waiting for Dr Rosewood I’m so bored I tune into the TV on the wall. Its about the man who murdered his wife, the reporter is talking about how his execution is nearly here, and then she says, “Camille Declan’s former employer, Jason Brodeur, released a statement saying, quote, “I hope this gives Camille the peace she deserves.”

 

“Jason Brodeur?” I mutter to myself and I know that name.

 

“What?” Slade’s watching me, he knows the name too.

 

I nod to the TV, “The dead wife worked for Jason Brodeur.” I don’t have to do anything else because he’s already taken his phone out and he’s texting the girls, they can start looking into this case for us.

 

It’s perfect timing because now Dr Rosewood is ready to see me. Slade takes over pushing my wheelchair and I grit my teeth to make myself behave.

 

**Big Belly Burger Now: John Diggle**

 

Carly brings him some food and he picks at it. The lunch crowd is a bit thin on the ground today so she has time to stand there and ask, “So when are you gonna tell me?”

 

“Hmm?” He picks at a few fries, and they really are good.

 

“About what happened to your arm?” She’s been asking him for days and he has no idea how to tell her that Andy’s killer shot him, and Oliver Queen of all people saved his own bodyguard’s life.

 

“Oh, it’s my shoulder,” He tries to brush it off as nothing. “And it’s, it’s fine.” He eats some more fries. He really shouldn’t, they aren’t that good for him, but they taste so good.

 

“I knew that Oliver guy was trouble,” She states and she doesn’t know the half of it. Glaring at the door she adds, “Is he supposed to be visiting you on your day off?”

 

Startled John turns to look at the door too. Oliver is indeed walking in, supported by Slade, and there’s the new bodyguard that John thought was an idiot yesterday when he was hired. The man has no idea how to handle someone like Oliver. Though it’s been eye opening to see a really well behaved Oliver, because Slade’[s watching him like a hawk, and won’t let him get away with shit, while he’s been confined to bed. Digg had been roped into a few games of Uno to keep Oliver occupied for a few hours yesterday.

 

The new bodyguard walks in front of them and scans the room, “Area is secure, sirs.” He’s clearly failed to notice that the two most dangerous people in the room are actually behind him.

 

“Thank you very much Rob,” Oliver is using his fake cheerful voice, the one he hides behind the most. Walking over to John’s table, Oliver is a bit wobbly on his legs, and bumps into Rob slightly, Joh sees him take something from the bodyguard’s pocket. It means the doctor’s appointment must have gone well, because there is no way Slade would let him walk around otherwise.

 

John also gets to see Oliver greet Carly with a happy, “Hello Diggle’s sister in law Carly. I’m Oliver Queen.”

 

“I know who you are,” She’s very unimpressed with him.

 

“No. You really don’t,” John can’t help adding. Who the hell would believe him that Oliver Queen, Bonded Omega, was the Vigilante, running around and robbing the rich to bring them to justice? Or however Oliver viewed it.

 

Without missing a beat Oliver carries on with, “And this is my Alpha Slade.” The pride isn’t faked. Oliver really is crazy about his Alpha.

 

“Hello,” Slade offers his hand and she takes it. John sees the moment Slade’s Alpha aura hits her, her eyes widen and she sways on her feet. The Alpha is toning it down a hell of a lot, but it’s still a big shock. He also gives her a food order and she leaves them at speed, probably to get away from Slade.

 

Watching Slade help Oliver into the booth, he ignores how chirpy Oliver is, this happiness isn’t faked. And then Slade slides in next to the Omega who is soon pressed up against his side with a contented sigh. “Hello Diggle,” Oliver grins at him and it’s hard to hold onto the idea that his boy is a killer, and a very good one too.

 

“Oliver, Slade,” He goes back to his fries and nibbles on them. Slade fusses over Oliver a little and the Omega laps it up. “I take it the doctor’s appointment went well,” and he wants to kick himself for continuing to have anything to do with them.

 

“Yes,” Slade puts his arm around Oliver and adds, “She was that pleased with his progress that, as long as he doesn’t overdo it,” A very significant glance is sent Oliver’s way. “He’s allowed to start moving around and doing things for himself.”

 

“Finally,” Oliver says, this frustration at being stuck in bed for days is obvious. “I can’t do much, but it’s better than just laying there. So Digg, how’s your arm healing up?”

 

He rotates it very slowly, “It’s getting there, not long now. It just aches now and again. I’ll work on some exercises and it’ll be good as new.” He doesn’t want to admit that Shado knows her stuff and did an excellent job. “So how’s the new bodyguard getting on with you two? I noticed you haven’t ditched him yet.” He’s aware of Oliver’s masks so he recognises when Oliver’s up to something, and he gets to see something very similar with Slade, they’re both up to something. Sighing he shakes his head, “Really? You’re going to ditch him on his first day?”

 

If anything Oliver acts more harmless, “Ditch is such a harsh word Digg. We were merely going to go our merry way and meet the girls.” Lifting up a hand there are keys on one of Oliver’s fingers. “And it’s not like we’re stealing the car. We own it.” So that was what Oliver boosted from the man.

 

The car keys are put away when Carly brings them their drinks. They both sip at them and John takes a bite of his burger. He’s hungry and clearly neither of them are leaving just yet. They keep things light. Places they want to go on dates to. Oliver wants to give Slade the big tour of Starling, to show it off to him.

 

Having spent days observing him he’s starting to get a feel for them. And they are the closest couple he’s ever met. They orbit around each other so tightly. Shado and Sara are close but not to this extent. Even with Oliver’s nocturnal activities he faded far too fast to the final stage of Withdrawal, and this may be why, he’s tied up so completely in Slade, that being apart would have been excruciating for him, he would have drained impossibly fast. Nothing short of death would ever break their Bond.

 

Their food arrives and Oliver tucks in with enthusiasm. Both of them appear to be absorbed by the food, but Digg notices their eyes flick about constantly, even here they’re on guard.

 

Eating everything on his plate Oliver sighs and pushes away the basket, “Oh that was the best burger. Thank you Slade for bringing me here.”

 

“You’re welcome,” Slade swallows the last of his food and leans over to kiss Oliver’s cheek. “Anything for you,” Is the overly romantic thing he’d normally hear in the moves Carly likes so much, yet it rings true for these two.

 

“Hmm,” Stretching Oliver gets a small book out, it’s covered in brown leather and he pushes it over to John. Intrigued John flicks through it and all he can see are a bunch of names that mean nothing to him. Oliver takes it back, “This was my father’s. I found it when I buried him.”

 

And that is not that same story that John heard, “I thought you said your father died when the boat went down.” He sees Slade’s arm go around Oliver again, comforting his Omega.

 

All the masks come off and John gets the real Oliver Queen sitting opposite him, “We both made it to a lift raft, but there wasn’t enough food and water for both of us, so he shot himself in the head.” John can only stare at him, how the hell did a spoilt rich kid like Oliver cope with something so horrible? “And as much as he was doing it to give me a chance to survive, I believe that he was also atoning for his sins. I need to right the wrongs done by my family.”

 

Stirring and moving to lean his elbow on the table Slade says, “We have a new name. Jason Brodeur. We’re looking into him now. Come to the factory Mr Diggle. See what we do. How we do it.”

 

“I,” John knew he should have kept walking out the damn door when Oliver first faded into Withdrawal.

 

“No pressure,” A smile flickers on Slade’s face. “And we should be going Oliver.”

 

“Yes Slade,” Its see shocking to see Oliver just give into Slade without a fight, John’s sure that isn’t always the way, Oliver’s personality was too stubborn for them not to butt heads occasionally.

 

He watches Slade go off to pay. And then the Alpha helps Oliver to his feet, fussing over the man’s coat so the Omega stays nice and warm. Oliver’s busy messing with Slade’s coat too.

 

The bodyguard comes up and Oliver holds up a hand, “I’m gonna go to the washroom Rob.” Oliver’s using his fake happy voice again. Slade helps him wobble to the back and they vanish into the washroom.

 

Stewing John fights against his interest in learning more about Oliver Queen. The damn Omega had so many secrets, so many contradictions, and John can see Carly out of the corner of his eye, she finally had some kind of closure about Andy. Conflicted John gets ready to go himself while the damn bodyguard is still standing there waiting, “Oh that boy’s long gone man,” he tells him and out the front window he sees one of the Queen cars go passed.

 

**The Arrow Cave Now: Oliver Queen**

 

Shado and Sara are fighting to hack into the police database. We need the information held in there to start really looking into this case. They say Peter Declan murdered his wife in cold blood. He had no alibi, and all the evidence pointed toward him. He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. An open and shut case, except for one thing. Declan’s wife Camille worked for Jason Brodeur.

 

And Jason Brodeur is on the list.

 

The odds are good that Brodeur is involved in this woman’s murder, which means we don’t have a lot of time to find the truth and save Peter Declan. We just need the first thread and we can pull this whole thing apart.

 

**Starling City Now: Jason Brodeur**

 

He sees his main bodyguard reading the newspaper, “Admiring your handiwork?” He asks the man as they look out into the bright sunshine. He just knows today is going to be a good day.

 

“You should have just let me kill both of ‘em,” Is the unimaginative answer. Really as perfect as this man is for all the jobs Jason needs doing, he’s not that good at seeing the long picture.

 

“Peter Declan is worth more alive. ‘Husband kills wife,’ is a much better headline than, ‘Whistle blower uncovers toxic dumping’, don’t you think?” The man is still unhappy. “Either way, soon, all this’ll be over.” And no one is going to be able to do anything to stop it.


End file.
